Battlefield: Bad Company 2

By Dan Whitehead Published 20 November, 2009

Bringing down the beta house.

Jumping from Modern Warfare 2 to Bad Company 2 isn't recommended. While both are broadly similar in concept - modern military shooters set in an imaginary land war between America and Russia - the difference in style couldn't be more pronounced. Infinity Ward's big-bollocked blockbuster has the bone-rattling volume and GRAAAAAGH KILLING SPREE! adrenaline rush, but try those bombastic Hollywood heroics over in DICE's theatre of war and you'll be shot to ribbons before you can say "danger close".

Currently titillating PS3 owners with an exclusive multiplayer beta, a whopping four months from release, Battlefield looks set to continue its conquest of the middle ground between Call of Duty's crowd-pleasing mayhem and Operation Flashpoint's brutal realism. Even more than its predecessor, which marked the series' debut on consoles, Bad Company 2 is undeniably part of the PC lineage. This is smart, savage war-gaming, where a cool head and a steady hand are rewarded over grenade-spamming and shooting from the hip.

The beta is virtually identical to the one that heralded the first Bad Company game. Rush is the game mode, and it sets out the game's stall in convincing style. The attacking team must push into enemy territory and destroy two communication arrays. The defenders must stop them. Whenever both arrays are destroyed, the defenders must fall back to the next section of the map. Victory for the attackers comes when there's nowhere left to run, while the defenders benefit from infinite respawns and must whittle down the enemy tickets until they're forced to withdraw.

The map that plays host to this blood-soaked push and pull is Arica Harbor. A sun-baked shantytown on the edge of a dazzling blue sea, it's a sprawling play area that offers opportunities for every style of play without ever feeling like you're being herded into simplistic stand-offs. Open desert plains give way to a multi-tiered cluster of houses and derelict towers as the attackers advance, culminating in a last stand at the docks themselves, where trashed cargo containers provide makeshift cover.

'Battlefield: Bad Company 2' Screenshot 1

Draw!

The sand-blasted environments have been shorn of anything not directly connected to combat - identical burned-out car shells offer the only hint that people may once have lived normal lives in this parched hellhole - but it still feels convincing thanks to some lovely ambient effects. Light and sound play a big part in the game, while the sweeping banks of smoke and dust add to the atmosphere without choking the gameplay.

Variety is the cornerstone of Battlefield, and Bad Company 2 isn't about to deviate from that ethos. There are four character classes - Assault, Engineer, Recon and Medic - and each offers its own expanding loadouts of guns, gadgets and secondary items. The longer you play, the more you can tweak your arsenal to your taste.

The stats screen, meanwhile, hints at what lies in store next year. Tanks, APCs, quad bikes and helicopters are all in the beta, but as yet there's no sign of the aquatic vehicles you'll be able to commandeer. As always where DICE is concerned, if you find yourself getting hammered doing one thing, it's incredibly easy to try something else instead.

This mix-and-match approach helps to balance out some familiar frustrations in the early hours of play. Battlefield is a game where death comes quickly, and often silently. Wounds heal with time, but it's a slower process than the fast recharge most FPS players will now be used to.

Most of the time you won't even see where the fatal bullet came from, and experienced players can't help but dominate the map, picking off enemies with unnerving ease while you spray bullets in a futile attempt to at least cause them some damage as you go down. It's aggravating but never frustrating, thanks to a ranking system that gets you upwardly mobile with agreeable speed, and a respawn system that gets you back into the action within a few seconds.

Whereas the scenery destruction was played up in Bad Company, for this sequel it's much less showy - even though the results are far more spectacular. There's a quiet confidence in the way the game just lets you discover just how much carnage you can wreak on the environment.

Walls no longer break into large squares, but chip away slowly, revealing the iron skeleton inside. Should the damage get too much, buildings collapse convincingly; walls crumbling, the roof sliding forlornly down into the rubble. For a game with so many ways to approach bunkered enemies, it's a small yet significant improvement. There really are no safe places on this battlefield, and the result is a boot up the arse for anyone caught hanging around for easy kills.

There are some obvious grumbles, however. Graphically it often looks stunning, though the cost in frame-rate and v-sync tearing may be too much for some. Objects and textures frequently pop into existence in front of you, while the crude way that destroyed vehicles vanish after a few seconds rather spoils the verisimilitude.

'Battlefield: Bad Company 2' Screenshot 2

There's always time for air guitar.

Control, too, is an area that could benefit from attention come crunch time. Movement feels heavy, especially where sideways motion is concerned, and while this can be a deliberate decision to make things feel more real, the floaty jump suggests otherwise.

It's also easy to get snagged on things, or sometimes even when there's nothing there, and in a game where a few shots is the difference between life and death, anything that leaves you vulnerable feels unfair. The continued absence of a prone position falls into the same complaint bucket, especially for those playing in the sniper class. The ability to drop to the ground at the first sign of danger would save a lot of respawns, but the perfunctory ducking manoeuvre is no more up to the task than it was in the first Bad Company.

With a healthy distance to go before the game has to march onto shelves, there's plenty of time to address such relatively minor problems. It doesn't seem like Bad Company 2 is going to win over anyone who isn't already sold on the Battlefield series, but there's an easy appeal to the way DICE has refined its template over the years and on current form Bad Company 2 seems destined to be the thinking gamer's war-fetish shooter of choice for 2010.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on 5th March 2010.

Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (53) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • AliRay #1 2 years ago

    I didn't play the first Bad Company. Is it worth picking up on the cheap now, for the single-player campaign?

  • dsmx #2 2 years ago

    Also for the record Battlefield 2: Modern Warfare was the first console battlefield game not bad company.

  • M_of_the_sys #3 2 years ago

    @AliRay

    The first Bad Company has a decent SP mode. Doesn't really have much on MW or MW2 but you can drive vehicles which I think seems to be a big aspect of it. It's more about heavy guns too. Annoying thing is that enemies can spot you from miles away even if they're not looking at you. Cover is a difficult thing too. The multiplayer aspect of it is supposed to be excellent but I haven't given that a shot yet.
    There's also a load of trophies/achievments for it.

  • Metalfish #4 2 years ago

    No prone is a good thing. Snipers should have to be where you don't expect rather than a tiny speck you'd never see.

  • cianchristopher #5 2 years ago

    Dan Whitehead. I like you, you seem like a nice guy.

    But you've got a lot to atone for by giving Resistance 2 a 9/10.

    Repent, and ye shall be healed.

  • Widge #6 2 years ago

    I'm hoping for the fun of Warhawk in FPS with this. Pure and awesome.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/09 @ 12:02

  • AliRay #7 2 years ago

    Cheers guys. I just finished the single-player in MW2, loved it.

    And I even enjoyed the OpFlashpoint: DR campaign so looks like it's worth a crack for £15.

  • duckncover #8 2 years ago

    @dsmx Wasn't it called Battlefield 2: Modern Combat?

  • Terribly_Mauled #9 2 years ago

    Played the 360 version of this on a LAN at the EA building at Comic Con in July. Tremendous fun. Running around on foot evading a guy on the other team in a tank is both terrifying and hilarious, especially when they are on the opposite side of the room.

  • patchbox360 #10 2 years ago

    @cianchristopher

    but resistance 2 deserved a 9/10, its just as good as call of duty mw2

  • dsmx #11 2 years ago

    I didn't play it, I took a wild stab at the name, it was near enough to get my point across.

  • Collymilad #12 2 years ago

    "COD has linear SP mode. youre pushed through invisible corridors. BC, you can approach it the way you see fit. its a much better experience if you like to think for yourself, as opposed to shooting whatever pops up. "

    I fail to see the difference. As soon as you take the first shot in BC they all stream towards you anyway.

  • Beige_Alert #13 2 years ago

    I skipped the first Bad Company partly because I was tired of FPS at the time and partly because of the "stab yourself with a syringe" health system that I found rather annoying in the demo.
    I enjoyed BF 1943 though, although I guess that must be pretty cartoony compared to this. This has a tentative buy decision as of now.

  • SBfistfun #14 2 years ago

    oooh hope this is good, I still play Bad company online now.

  • gjgjg #15 2 years ago

    hmmm, shame no 360 beta. oh well, it might even be worth getting it on ps then if theyre putting this much effort into it... i need to find some use for my slimmmmmmmm... and just in time for when i get bored of MW2

  • Keivz #16 2 years ago

    PC gamers get the sequel but not the original. WTF?

  • jerrymanu #17 2 years ago

    Pre order, buy, beg for a beta key whatever, you've gotta play this game, its that simple. The Beta is class. Definite 1st day purchase for me.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/09 @ 12:26

  • mkreku #18 2 years ago

    This is coming to PC! Yay!

  • ignatiusjreilly #19 2 years ago

    I've never played Bad Company.

    Thinking of getting it on PC this time around, but is it as good as BF2? Are there any major differences in the style of game?

  • RustyBullet #20 2 years ago

    This is going to be my game of 2010. Loved the first one that much that i have it for both the 360 and the PS3, and anyone thinking should i pick it up on the cheap? I say hell yes. There are still plenty of people playing it now.

  • ISmoke #21 2 years ago

    It's ok nothing special, Perhaps not my cup of tea. I got a spare US PSN code if anyone wants it, just message me!

  • matrim83 #22 2 years ago

    I think I will double dip on this one. 360 version to play with friends and PC version for a smoother online experience.

    Cant wait.

  • Moonprince #23 2 years ago

    "There are some obvious grumbles (ignoring the fact this is a BETA and not a demo but we're gonna bitch and moan anyway GOGOGOG!!!)"

    GGEUROGAMER...GG

  • Jonny5Alive7 #24 2 years ago

    Its sounding good. I'd still prefer a fully blown Battlefield 3 though!

  • wobblyman #25 2 years ago

    I wish i could be playing it as I've pre-ordered it from game.co.uk and the bastards havent posted me my beta code which is all part of the bargain. We, as usual, are always last to get the betas while the yanks are having a ball. When will eurogamer be getting some beta keys then to issue to us poor europeans?

  • glaeken #26 2 years ago

    Loved the first game and cannot wait for this. The destructible environments were such a leap forward for an on-line shooter I might even rate it above BF1942 and BF2 for the PC. To actually be able to blow holes in walls and make your own path is pretty liberating.

  • kebab1701 #27 2 years ago

    Is there any way to get on the beta just now?

  • costa_k #28 2 years ago

    Will no doubt be a great game.But the hardcore fans want a PC only proper Battlefield .BF3 please.

  • glaeken #29 2 years ago

    This is BF3 in all but name for the PC so I really don't understand why the hardcore PC gamers think its not. I am sure it will have a much higher player cap on the PC version and be moddable so I don't see what else is missing from a "genuine" PC version. Dice have also said there will be dedicate server code released so its not even gone the MW2 route.

    Given how great the mod community has been for BF games on the PC it should be pretty interesting to see what these guys can do with the new destructable environments. If its anything like the situation with past mods they will make Dice's output seem tame.
    Edited by 3 at 20/11/09 @ 13:47

  • effinjamie #30 2 years ago

    It says in the small print on the GAME site that codes will be sent out in batches on a monday, starting 30th Nov

  • TheJuriel #31 2 years ago

    Air guitar, hahaha, genius.

    I'm really waiting for this. It's the terrain destruction that instantly made me love the first one.

  • TheJuriel #32 2 years ago

    And oh yeah, don't judge Bad Company by the singleplayer. It's just there to get you used to the different systems. Multiplayer is where it shines and most of the focus has went.

  • chessboxer #33 2 years ago

    Game sent me my beta code on Weds. It's certainly enjoyable so far, moreso than MW2. I did notice that this game has blood in it, something that wasn't present in Bad Company (or BF2... or BF2142 now I think about it).

  • FWB #34 2 years ago

    BF:BC1 is the best MP experience I've had on a console. The destruction might seem like a gimmick but it completely changes the game. Groundbreaking I'd say.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/09 @ 14:49

  • flaming-carrot #35 2 years ago

    I am playing the beta at the moment, and have to say that it is top drawer. A real improvement over BC1, with plenty of options, unlocks and gadgets to keep everyone happy. This is one FPS that really rewards team play too. Roll on March 2010.

  • darc #36 2 years ago

    Those screen caps look amazing. All greys and browns, but in a good way!

  • Joco84 #37 2 years ago

    The upgrade weapons trailer makes it look better than BF2, I can't wait for March!!

  • CunningLinguist #38 2 years ago

    What are you guys saying about unlocks? You can't unlock anything in the Beta, all points you earn always amount to 0 in your profile and you never level.

  • freakzilla #39 2 years ago

    I agree with all the complaints, I had the same problems with 1943.

  • Murton #40 2 years ago

    "The first Bad Company has a decent SP mode. Doesn't really have much on MW or MW2"

    Not true, t has an extra couple of hours on both MW games. MW and MW2 were both criminally short and for me no amount of multiplayer greatness will make up for a mediocre single player campaign. Anyone who is looking for a good semi-realistic FPS with a solid single player campaign could certainly do a lot worse than Bad Company.


    Really looking forward to the sequel, will have to get hold of this beta at some point and see what the multiplayer will be like this time around.

  • Gibroon #41 2 years ago

    Played a bit of this in the afternoon and can't wait till the missus goes to bed to so I can play more. I love the weight of the controls, the sounds of the guns and the destruction that can be had from guns to tanks. Although it is 4 months away, I'm willing to skip MW2 due to the more open structure of the maps in BC2.

    Great stuff!

  • IronGiant #42 2 years ago

    This game is superb, had some brilliant games today.. the sound is some of the best ive heard in this type of game and the sense of scale and destruction is top drawer. It sits somewhere inbetween Ghost Recon and Modern Warefare in terms of gameplay, to be honest im getting much more enjoyment out of this than MW2. Getting in the tanks and other vehicles is great fun and blowing up a tower with a sniper hidden inside using an RPG is always good :)

  • ForburyLion #43 2 years ago

    If you look on Xbox Live I believe there may still be a Bad Company demo to download, Not checked myself recently but worth a look if your undecided about buying it. Not sure about the PS3 store but again, worth a look.
    Edited by 1 at 21/11/09 @ 11:46

  • spatss #44 2 years ago

    This puts Modern Warfare 2 to shame.

  • chrisola #45 2 years ago

    the beta vids on Gametrailers look awesome.

    I've only ever played Bad Company out of the Battlefield series, but this looks like a definite purchase.

    Not to incite a flame war but if the PS3 version looks this good....

  • stodge #46 2 years ago

    The AI in the first Bad Company was crap! The enemy would sit six feet away from one of your team, and neither would fire. I caught one of my team walking in a square out in the open. The enemy can spot you from miles away even when you can't see them. $10 max.

  • cairbre1977 #47 2 years ago

    I really liked the first one and am looking forward to the second one. MP I thought was excellent. I will be getting the PC version but the PS3 version was really good

  • dsmx #48 2 years ago

    Not to incite a flame war but if the PS3 version looks this good....

    .....Imagine what the PC version looks like.

  • EMULOUS #49 2 years ago

    Played for a few hours and first impressions are good. Found that if you are put in a squad with like minded players i.e. players that participate in the aim of the game ie.planting or dis-arming, then it improves tenfold as you can respawn on them and get straight back into the action. In a squad with gay snipers then chances are youll respawn on them miles away. Annoying..
    Think thisll be a purchase if the friend/squad invites and comms issues of the past Battlefield games are addressed.

  • mungolikebeans #50 2 years ago

    Just been playing MW2 and have to say that it feels like they've overdone the set pieces etc and somehow now feels less of a shooter and more of a blockbuster movie. Then played the original Bad Company and the mechanics of shooting is still the focus NOT secondary to set pieces. Hope the same is true for number 2.

    MW2 is like Transformers 2 - great trailer material......

  • Zappa #51 2 years ago

    BFBC2 makes MW2 look llike a wii game.

  • xGareth #52 2 years ago

    how can i get this beta?

  • Mekanik #53 2 years ago

    Currently playing this beta online. Its awesome. Cant wait for this to be released.